Scared Stiff (1953)

Fleeing a murder charge, a busboy and a nightclub singer wind up on a spooky Caribbean island inherited by an heiress.

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Herbert Baker (screenplay), Walter DeLeon (screenplay)

Stars:

Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Lizabeth Scott

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dean Martin	...	Larry Todd
Jerry Lewis	...	Myron Mertz
Lizabeth Scott	...	Mary Carroll
Carmen Miranda	...	Carmelita Castinha
George Dolenz	...	Mr. Cortega
Dorothy Malone	...	Rosie
William Ching	...	Tony Warren
Paul Marion	...	Ramon Cariso / Francisco Cariso
Jack Lambert	...	Zombie
Tony Barr	...	Trigger
Leonard Strong	...	Shorty
Henry Brandon	...	Pierre
Hugh Sanders	...	Cop on Pier

Storyline

Nightclub singer Larry Todd breaks off his romance with a beautiful showgirl when he realizes she's the girlfriend of a murderously jealous gangster. While on the run, Larry mistakenly believes he kills one of the mobsters and is helped to escape police by heiress Mary Carol, who smuggles Larry and partner Myron to Cuba. Mary has inherited a haunted castle on an isolated island and, ignoring ominous warnings and threats, decides to take possession. While there, the trio hunt for a hidden treasure and encounter a ghost, a zombie, and a mysterious killer.

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Plot Keywords:

screwball comedy | psychotronic film | singer | island | nightclub | 

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Taglines:

They're making a spook-tacle of themselves!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Musical | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1953 (USA)

Also Known As:

Starr vor Angst

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

3 Channel Stereo (Western Electric Recording) (5.0) (L-R)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Carmen Miranda.

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Goofs

At the club Mary receives a note from Larry that he can't make the date, she writes on (what looks like a show bill) three words (two on top line one on bottom) quickly scrawled but when we see a close up its written very clearly it reads: "Forgive me for running away-"

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Quotes

Myron Mertz: They got guns!
Myron's Conscience: You can get a gun.
Myron Mertz: They got blackjacks!
Myron's Conscience: You can get a blackjack.
Myron Mertz: They got big strong muscles!
Myron's Conscience: ...You can get a blackjack.

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Connections

Version of The Ghost Breaker (1914)

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Soundtracks

What Have You Done for Me Lately
(uncredited)
Words and music by Philip Springer, Richard Adler
Sung by Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis

User Reviews

Typical Martin-Lewis Comedy

First of all, if you're considering watching a Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis picture, you must be aware of the fact that it is mainly slapstick comedy. If you can't laugh at a drunk guy slapping Jerry Lewis in the face, then this movie isn't for you.

With that being said, this movie has an interesting story line. Lewis and Martin are friends and when Martin gets in trouble with Shorty, a mob-type guy, Lewis goes to defend him. This leads to an accidental shooting that Martin gets blamed for and when he goes to hide, he meets Mary, who inherited a haunted island from her father. Martin and Lewis end up going with Mary and figure out the mystery of Lost Island.

Although the plot jumps around a lot, watching Martin and Lewis is always enjoyable and there are many funny situations in this movie. If you're a fan of slapstick, this movie is for you.